Lighting fixture



Dec. 10, 1929. RUMPF LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 17. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTO RNEY Dec. 10, 1929. J. RUMPF LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ,2

Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R'UMPF, OF NEW MILFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY CAR HEAT- ING & LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed February 17, 1927. Serial No. 168,980.

This invention relates to lighting fixtures and more particularly to lighting fixtures for the interior of vehicles. One of the ob- 'jects of the invention is to provide a light- 5 ing fixture which is of simple construction and eilicient action. Another object is to provide a construction of the above nature wherein the parts are held firmly in assembled relation whereby to avoid rattling or becoming disarranged due to vibration of the vehicle in which the fixture is mounted. Another object is to provide-a construction of the above nature in which there is afforded convenient access to the light bulb and to the parts which require cleaning. Another object is to provide a construction of the above nature having few parts and which may be built at low cost. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the applicaembodiments of the several features of this invention,

Figure 1 is a cross-section; Figure 2 is a bottom view of Figure 1, shown partly in section;

b Figure 3 is a side view of a spring mem- Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4- 1 of Figure 2;

. Figure 5 is an elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4, viewed from the left-hand side of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a modified construction, and

Figure 7 illustrates a further modification.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, there is shown in Figure 1 a supportin member 10 which is secured as by means'fi screws 11 to a wall 12. The wall 12 represents the ceiling of a vehicle such as a motor vehicle or a railway car. The supporting member 10 is preferably formed of sheet metal and, in the embodiment shown, it is substantially circular in shape. About the periphery of the member is formed a flange 13 the edge of which rests against the ceiling 12 when the supporting member is fastened in place. a

Supported by the member 10 is an electric light socket 14 which carries a bulb 15. The socket is preferably so supported that the filament of .the bulb 15 rests substantially beneath the center of the circular supporting member 10. The central portion 10, of the member 10 is, in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, preferably bent upwardly to give the member an outer concave surface at this portion and this concave surface is polished or suitably treated to serve as a reflector. The bulb 15, supported in a horizontal plane as shown, projects upwardly into the concave central portion 10' and its top wall is positioned closely adjacent to the reflecting surface, thereb giving a very compact structure. The soc ret 14 is supported preferably by a pair of clips 16 and 17 which are integral with and bent up from the sheet metal supporting member 10. It will be seen that this mounting of the light bulb and its socket, together with the reflector. is extremely compact. The clips 16 and 17 firmly grip the socket 14 and hold it tightly against shaking around as the ceiling 12 vibrates Fitting about the exterior of the flange 13 is an annular member18 which is also preferably formed of sheet metal. This member 18 is bent at its lower edge to form an in-' wardly projecting flange 19 which is spaced outwardly from and faces a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the supporting member 10.

The annular member 18 is removably secured to the supporting member 10 preferably by means of a bayonet joint connection with the flange 13. In the construction shown herein there are three of these bayonet joints indicated at 20, 21 and 22 in Figure 2. One of these connections is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. The flange 13 is vertically slotted as shown at 23, and at the bottom of this slot the sheet metal is folded outwardly to provide a projection 24 of double the thickness of the sheet metal. In the annular member 18 is formed aslot 25 extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof and connecting at its lower extremity with a horizontal slot 26. In the upper edge of the slot 26, and at the 'end thereof remote from the slot 25, is a recess 27 To fasten the annular member 18 in position it is slid up over the flange 13 with the projections 24 registering with the slots 25; when the projections 21 come to the bottoms of the slots 25 the member 18 is rotated to bring the projections into registry with the recesses 27. Thereafter the member 18 cannot be removed without first lifting it upwardly to disengage the pro ectio-ns 24 from the recesses 27, and thereafter rotating the member 18 to move the projections into registry with the slots 25.

Beneath the supporting member 10 and the bulb 15 is a glass globe 28 which is preferably of heavy construction. About its upper open end the globe 28 is provided with an outwardly projecting peripheral flange or bezel 29. The side walls 28 of the lobe pass upwardly within the flange 19 and the globe flange 29 rests between the upper surface of the flange 19 and the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the supporting member 10. Between these two surfaces is also provided suitable spring means which urges the globe flange 29 upwardly against the surface of the supporting-member 10.

The spring means preferably employed is an annular member 30 of spring wire which rests between the flange 19 and the flange 29. This spring 30, as shown in Figure 3, is normally of a dished shape. When the spring is flattened out it tends continually to resume its normal shape shown in Figure 3 and hence bears downwardly against the flange 19 and upwardly against the globe flange 29.

The spring 30 holds the globe flange and the upper edge of the globe firmly up against the surface of the supporting member 10 and thus firmly holds the globe in position and against rattling. In addition, the spring 80 acting against the flange 19 pulls down wardly upon the annular member 18. This latter action firmly maintains the bayonet joint connections between the member 18 and theflange 13, holding the projections 24 in engagement with the recesses 27.

It will be seen that this construction is extremely simple and advantageous. In assembling the parts the globe or bowl 28, the spring 30 and the annular member 18 are placed in their proper relation and then the part 18 is pushed upwardly about the flange 13, flattening the spring 30; thereupon, the member 18 is turned to engage the bayonet joints.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown a modified form of this construction. In this form the supporting member 35 is a flat sheet metal part which rests flat agaii t the ceiling 12 and has 21 depending peripheral flange 36. The annular sheet metal member 37 is secured about the flange 36 by bayonet joints substantially as is the member 18 about the part 13 in the embodiment shown in the preceding figures. The spring 30 holds the bayonet joints in locking position as hereinbefore described and holds the globe 38 firmly up against the lower surface of the support 35. The construction shown in Figure 6 is compact, differing from that shown in Figure 1 in that the annular member 37 is notrequired to be as wide as the member 18 and in that the globe 38 is slightly deeper than the globe 28.

Where it is permissible to penetrate the ceiling 12, it is sometimes desirable to use a construction such as that illustrated in Figure 7. Instead of being provided with the clips 16, 17, the supporting member39 having the depending peripheral flange 10 is provided at its center with an opening surrounded by adepending flange 4.1. The electric light socket 14 is passed through this opening and supported therein, the bulb 15 being positioned vertically as distinguished from the horizontal position which it assumes in the embodiments previously described. In Figure 7 a globe 42 is shown in dotted lines and is seen to be somewhat deeper than those of either Figure 1 or Figure 6. However, this construction of Figure 7 is also compact and simple. With the construction shown in Figure 7 the annular member 37 and the spring 30 are employed substantially as shown in Figure 6.

In each of the forms shown the parts are dependably held against any possibility of rattling and this is accomplished with a very simple construction and with very few parts. The bowl is removed with the greatest convenience for cleaning the parts or for renewinothe bulb. The interior of the globe is tig tly sealed so that access of dirt and dust is avoided. The construction is particularly advantageous for ceiling lights for motor buses. In such vehicles the head room is not great, and therefore the compactness of this construction, in addition to its simplicity and convenience, is a distinct advantage.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted a illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lighting fixture, in combination, a reflector member flanged at its edges and having a, central depression and substantially flat surrounding parts, means adapted to hold said reflector in position against a wall, said reflector having a pair of portions struck free and bent forwardly therefrom, and an electric bulb the illuminating portion of which rests within said depression and the socket portion of which rests against said flat portion of said reflector and is embraced by said bent parts. I

2. In a lighting fixture, in combination, a supporting member made from sheet metal adapted to be attached in direct contact with a wall surface and comprising a reflector portion and a portion bent at an angle thereto to provide a peripheral flange extending transversely of the plane of said reflector portion, said reflector portion having clips sprung out from the surface thereof adapted resiliently to hold a lamp socket in their grasp, a sheet metal globe-retaining member adapted to telescope with said peripheral flange and having an inwardly turned flange, coacting means on said supporting member and said last member adapted to slip into locked engagement with one another, a globe having an outwardly extending peripheral flange adapted to lie between the flange of said retaining member and the reflector portion of said supporting member, and cushioning means firmly engaged between the flange of said globe and one of said members.

3. In a lighting fixture, in combination, a supporting member formed of sheet metal adapted to be attached in direct contact with a wall surface and comprising a reflector portion and a portion bent back substantially normal thereto to abut against said wall and to position said reflector portion in spaced relation thereto, means for securing said member to said wall, a plurality of clips struck free and bent forward from the face of said reflector portion, a lamp socket mounted to extend substantially parallel to said reflector member and resiliently held between said clips, a hollow globe disposed in spaced relation to said reflector portion, and

a globe-retainin member adapted releasably to interlock with the bent-back portion of said supporting member and resistingly to overlap portions of said globe;

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 4th day of Feb. 1927.

' JOHN RUMPFQ 

